http://www.mvag.ch/tipps&tricks/ruhe.html
using the loo - O.K.
using the shower - Undecided, but the Mieterverband says its OK regardless of the Hausordnung.
using the bath tub - NO
Just found at the "Aargauerischer Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband"
An age old idiom springs to the fore...
Small things amuse small minds...
If I were to spend my life listening intently to catch out my neighbours when they should dare to use the loo or have a shower... I myself would go potty
oh wow...i just got my first complaint. It was in french which I don't speak so well, making it damn near impossible to figure out what is wrong. Apparently talking after 10:30 pm is not allowed in my apartment.
You know you've been living in Switzerland too long when:
>
>
>
> ...you think it's economically wasteful to have more than one brand
of a
> product in a store.
> ...you think sponteniaty is OK, as long as it's planned.
> ...you think getting up early is good.
> ...you get upset in the train when a foreign tourist opens the window
> causing a draft to go down your back.
> ...you actually get interested in the local elections.
> ...you know the words to the Swiss national anthem.
> ...you expect the shop clerk to say goodbye after you purchase
something..
> ...you prefer to buy in small shops even though its more expensive.
> ...you think joining clubs is an acceptable way of meeting people
> socially.
> ...you get annoyed when the car ahead of you doesn't turn off it's
motor
> at a traffic light.
> ...you try to defend cartel based economics to a visitor.
> ...you think that plaid jackets with flowery ties don't look that
bad.
> ...you think it's fair that you can only wash clothes once a month.
> ...you wonder why anyone would want to shop outside of working hours.
> ...you get concerned about all the foreigners moving into the
country.
> ...you don't mind spending all day in the restaurant at a ski
resort,and
> wonder why all the foreigners insist on skiing when the conditions
are
> less than optimal.
> ...you know the difference between Cafe Fertig, Cafe Traesh, and Cafe
> Lutz, and get upset when others don't know.
> ...you become suspicious of people who think independently.
> ...you can comment on the quality of English schools in southern
England
> and California.
> ...you think it's OK to drive slow on Sundays.
> ...you pull out in front of another car, to reserve your place.
> ...you reserve your table first, before getting food in a cafeteria.
> ...you don't worry about your jacket being stolen in a restaurant.
> ...you feel like you're broke if you have less that SFr. 300 in your
> pocket.
> ...you dress up to go grocery shopping.
> ...you wear white socks with black shoes.
> ...you wish the Swiss government would do something about their
refugee
> policy.
> ...you don't get upset about US politics, because after all they're
> American.
> ...you understand why Chinese food should cost more than normal
food..
> ...you get embarassed when a visitor asks for a doggie bag in a
> restaurant.
> ...you prefer Swiss wine.
> ...you are willing to pay higher prices, because it ensures higher
> quality.
> ...you wish that your town had expensive garbage bags too.
> ...you consider target shooting a 'sport'.
> ...you assume that all blacks are foreigners.
> ...you assume that all Asians are refugees.
> ...you start judging restaurants and hotels, giving criticism when
your
> expections are not met.
> ...you think it's OK for a Chinese restaurant to be run by a Swiss
and
> staffed by Spaniards and Portugese.
> ...you start refering to the French-speaking Swiss as Welsh.
> ...you start thinking, 'Why can't they just speak Schwiizerduetsch?'
> ...you don't mind waiting in restuarants.
> ...your German is better than the waiter's.
> ...you stop going out on Monday and Tuesday nights, because you have
to
> work the next day, but always go out on Thursday nights.
> ...you don't think it's funny when someone confuses Switzerland with
> Sweden.
> ...you get upset when someone thinks Switzerland's forth language is
> English.
> ...you know the difference between a "Landesprache" and an
"Amtsprache".
> ...you stop liking peanut butter.
> ...you think that Generalversammulung is an important event.
> ...you start preparing costumes for Fasnacht.
> ...you join a Guggemusik band.
> ...you think Thursday night shopping is really convenient.
> ...you buy Swiss eye glasses.
> ...you decline an invitation because you have to clean your
apartment.
> ...you think it's normal for a family with kids to live in an
apartment.
> ...you don't take part in a sporting activity, because you're not
dressed
> for it.
> ...you consider it normal to make reservations to see a movie.
> ...you are glad of the pause during a movie, so that you can smoke a
> cigarette and buy an ice cream.
> ...you think that large American cars are 'cool'.
> ...you think it's cool to drink expensive imported American beers.
> ...you prefer fizzy mineral water to tap water.
> ...you expect a slice of lemon in your coke.
> ...you worry that you don't have the right sort of glasses for the
drinks
> you are going to serve.
> ...you throw a party and expect everyone to leave by 11:30 pm.
> ...you clean up during parties.
> ...you expect dinner guests to help with the washing up.
> ...you think that air conditioning makes people sick.
> ...you begin to understand the subtlity of the Swiss cusine.
> ...you appreciate the differences between the cantons.
> ...you don't get mad, you just answer 'Bon appetit', when someone
asks you
> what's English for 'En guete'.
> ...you don't mind drinking Panache (shandy).
> ...you feel really hungry if you don't start eating lunch by 12:00.
> ...you start disliking fast-food.
> ...you prefer plain chocolate to candy bars.
> ...you have breakfast cereal for dinner.
> ...you consider it healthy to eat lots of milk products and lean red
meat.
> ...you say Gruezi to everyone, and consider it impolite when they
don't
> say it back.
> ...you don't mind paying SFr.12 for a paperback book.
> ...you think that PTT approved telephones are better.
> ...you buy a new one instead of getting it repaired.
> ...you realize the subversive implications of doing something 'just
for
> fun'.
> ...you think that 3% unemployment is high.
> ...you think it was through its own efforts that Switzerland stayed
out of
> World War II.
> ...you think that milk and butter prices should be regulated.
> ...you worry about the economic hardships that Swiss farmers face.
> ...you consider getting goats and sheep to graze in your backyard.
> ...you think that wood is 'heimelig' (cozy).
> ...you start to think in kilometers.
> ...you think that a pound is 500 grams and not 16 ounces.
> ...you don't feel embarassed when you order something non-alcolohic
in a
> bar.
> ...you only eat fondue in winter.
> ...you complain to your neighbor about the noise when he flushes his
> toilet after 10 pm.
> ...you become interested in the myriad of insurance offerings.
> ...you call the police when you see someone washing their car on a
Sunday.
> ...you think that Sunday should be a day of rest.
> ...you take part in Jass tournaments.
> ...you get interested in Schwingen.
> ...you volunteer to help organize the Dorffest.
> ...you buy a new TV because the old one doesn't match the new
furniture.
> ...you expect to be delayed by road works.
> ...you aren't surprised when a perfectly good road is torn up and
repaved.
> ...you buy a new ski suit every year.
> ...you feel comforted by public safety announcements.
> ...you prefer hamburgers without the bun, and eat them with a knife
and
> fork.
> ...you think that only foreigners use catsup.
> ...you expect bacon to have bits of bone in it.
> ...you wonder why anyone would want such a big refrigerator.
> ...you become concerned about the color of your neighbor's curtains.
> ...you put Aromat on all your food.
> ...you start judging the quality of the whipped cream.
> ...you think that Switzerland's conservation efforts make a
difference.
> ...you think it's OK to wear red (or yellow) Levis.
> ...you refuse to leave messages on answering machines because it's
too
> impersonal.
> ...you worry about getting a cold when there's a draft.
> ...you think that hard work is responsible for the stability of the
Swiss
> franc.
> ...you become offended when reading this.
Gross indeed!
I was wondering if anyone has any clauses against odors.
I never smell any food being prepared by my neighbors.
I on the other hand have strong ethnic garlic smells constantly leeking out of my apartment, and now am wondering if my neighbors are offended.
I think you probably just make them hungry.
hahaha! i was chatting to a swiss lady that lives in my neighbourhood. she asked me if i had settled in ok (which was very nice of her) so i said pretty much except for the lack of life & fun in the area though i was a bit concerned that my neighbour was against my showering late when i get back from trips to romania, russia etc.
she said it is such a pity that some swiss people spend their lives being unhappy & trying to make others equally unhappy....
so you see even some locals have issues with some of the grumpy old farts here so take heart - we're not alone
PS i am not giving out here name - i would hate to have her reported to the police
Yes I agree, would not start an arguement. I have this in my Rent contract, quiet after 10pm, we dont let kids play outside over Lunch either.
I had no problem in my old design, Vzug, marble everything, MinergyP apartment, isolated like hell, except for the Rent. Now Since then pay more to get good thick walls, I lasted 2.5 months in a Rented Block. The girl below, a Professional childminder complained about child noise . I avoid Jugendstil ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugendstil ) houses like to plague, bloody creaking Wood, I have more sensitive ears than most 7 year olds (tested at Kindercity Effretikon).
Living in a a Italian block, they are great (sensible no really stupid rules). No complaints except for Catholic holidays and Football national italian matches, they get a bit loud.
I live on the second floor of an apartment building and my neighbour below me once knocked on my door and with quite an embarrassed expression, politely asked me to not make sliding noises on the floor after 22h. I was really confused until I worked out that he meant that I was shuffling my feet on the wooden floor with my slippers! This was obviously causing him lack of sleep, so now I have bought new slippers with hard soles, and tread lightly if I am still awake after 22h (which is always). This problem would have been avoided if Swiss apartments were carpeted!
Problem solved, I will keep it in mind when we arrive in Switzerland in 3 weeks. My husband loves his slippers and never lifts his feet from the ground, (sliding noise) which irritates me too. I think the Swiss are wise not to carpet the apartments, it is not so healthy. Who knows what breeds in that 1 inch thick carpets (in the US they have them) gross ,all the dust, mites, stains, and if you have pets all the hair, and whatever, so you have to shampoo the carpets at least every 3 months, what a hassle. Then the Americans wonder why they all have allergies. I never knew what allergies were until we arrived in the US. Now the whole family has it, and I swear it is the carpets. (just my opinion) could be the a/c also, running 24/7, but my first bet is the carpets. If my husband decides not to go for the hard sole slippers, and keep on shuffling his feet, I will let the Swiss fight it out, hubby is Swiss also. That would be amuzing.
If you read the excellent "Living and working in Switzerland" by D. Hampshire you would have learned about all the idiosyncracies of the Swiss people. I for one find some of these rules (many of which only seem to exist in the German-speaking part of the country) quite sensible.
I have a upstairs neighbour who always makes a lot of noise when taking a **** , so for those who haven't learned not to pee right in the middle of the bowl you have the Swiss ruie that says you must sit down like a girl.
I do not know about that, is it a joke, or are you serious. Whatever, it is still
In Switzerland, is it better to live upstairs, downstairs or ??? I do not have trouble with young kids running, mine is 15, and as quiet as a mouse, he plays electric guitar, but with headphones, we will not try any other way, that will cause major When is the quiet time in Switzerland in the afternoons? I have heard noon to 1pm, not sure, and evenings after 10pm. Just making sure.
I have always thought that it is all the household cleaning chemicals and sprays that lead to allergies. I had a friend who grew up in a house that was 'too clean'; his mother would vaccuum, dust, and disinfect the house every day. They never kept pets, neither did they have carpets. He and his brother have terrible allergies. This is because of a hyperactive immune system: no real bugs or dirt to cause proper colds early on. I, like most English, grew up in carpeted houses, and the carpets were never washed, only vaccuumed ('hoovered') once a week. We also had cats, and played a lot in the garden. I don't know what allergies are like; I only know that I'd never want them! So I think the more dirt you have in your carpet, the more healthy you become. Dirt is good! So if the Swiss had carpets, not only would it reduce noise pollution, it would also improve health standards!
Interesting, my husband thinks the same. He says you need a certain amount of germs in your life. Well, I had to blame something I did not have before, and it is the carpets. Wall to wall, one inch thick. Allergies is something you do not want, terrible. Red, itchy eyes, runny nose, and always tired, it makes you so tired. On our visit to Australia (3 weeks there) all of us had no problem at all. It is the carpets I tell you,,no, just joking, I do not know what it is exactly, but normally in Switzerland I am also allergy free,,,yepeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!Switzerland here I come.
After 2200hrs, it is socially polite not to make excessive or unnecessary noise in Switzerland, especially if you live in a multi-family house.
One neighbour even asked me to carpet the whole rented apartment, or he hinted I should move. He lived below my apartment.
Strangely, a recently-then-widowed swiss woman who lived above us, occasionally drank herself silly and played the italian opera at FULL BLAST, after 2200hrs.
When confronted, she did not apologise, instead she told me to exercise tolerance, and accused my son (who was sleeping soundly til the italian sound) of crying.
Best solution I have: move. (I did)
Apologise NOT, cause some of them will WALK ALL OVER you and they will start to **** on you, literally.
Another neighbour (auslander family too) was subject to swiss neighbour bullying, they walked all over them, until the wife (Korean woman), screamed at them, and they were left alone to live peacefully happily ever after.
Swiss people are usually afraid of confrontation, esp if you SHOUT at them loudly like crazy.
Do it once, and they will "get the message".
THEN AGAIN, not all swiss are like this. Not all. It is just that I moved 4 times from one rental to another.
Then I bought my own place, the neighbours now are very polite and docile towards me. (even though some may be SVP supporters).
"Owners' privilege"
"Shout at them like crazy" ha, ha, I thought they are the ones shouting like crazy. I will have a difficult time, I am not the yelling kind, please help me, they are going to walk all over me.
I usually do my best to follow and respect Swiss laws/traditions, but I draw the line at flushing/showering after 10pm. These are essential/basic needs.
Anyway, it's not a problem in my building as all our neighbors seem to do it, since I also hear it regularly. Our walls are concrete, but the toilet is next to the bedroom, so I can also hear my neighbors peeing (not flushing , but actually peeing ). But hey, when nature calls, you have to answer ...I don't blame them, I blame the lousy building for not having better walls .
However my 60 year-old neighbors yodel often (yes, they actually have friends come over and yodel ) which is nice, but not at 10pm under my kids room when they are sleeping ...they do shut up promptly at 11pm, I guess that's when quiet hours begin (I never really looked at our hausordnung)....I'd love to buy my own house and get away from this, but at 1 Mill CHF can't afford it ...meanwhile I just have to enjoy the yodeling and peeing sounds of my neighbors
A tremendous amount of information on this thread I am starting to get worried. We will arrive in Switzerland in about 10 days, and do not have an apartment yet, but will I have to interview the neighbours now first? Do you yodel? Do you pee a lot after 10 pm,,ha ha, this is crazy. Well, no matter what, I will go to the toilet when I want, that is for sure, and I will damm flush when I want. Shower, I will make sure everyone is done before 10pm.
We sold our house a year ago here in the US, and have been living in an apartment since then, no one really cares what the other one does. We are used to late showers, and flushing the toilet after 10pm. Our neighbours do the laundry on Sundays, and I admit I have to do the same sometimes if they come in after 10 pm and take a shower, who cares, I do the same sometimes. I think it still depends what kind of neighbors one has, but living in Switzerland should be nice, and fun, not stressful, that is why we are moving there, Public transport, safety, nice people,(?) I hope so, beautiful mountains,,ect. ect. We should not let petty things make our lives miserable, life is too short, enjoy it. If someone confronts me over something stupid, I will just reply, "Listen, I am from a country(SA), deeply troubled at the moment, with a lot of violence and crime, I fear for the safety of my family there, every minute of the day, so please, do not complain over silly things. I cannot afford a house in Switzerland, so I will have to make my life as pleasant as possible in an apartment.